The potentials of emerging technologies and data science to advance peacebuilding and humanitarian action are immense, and various stakeholders have been turning to data and algorithms to advance their work. However, these methods and tools come with an extreme risk to both the privacy and lives of vulnerable populations if the data/AI is misused or used inappropriately. Although these risks exist across different contexts, the sensitive nature of conflict or violence affected areas uniquely exacerbates these challenges. In order to “do no harm,” we must be able to understand and tackle both technical and ethical issues of working with algorithms and vulnerable populations.

‘Do no harm’ and preventing the outbreak, escalation, and continuation of conflict and harm while using new tools is a huge task, and a more integrated, strategic, and coherent approach across different sectors and actors is needed to sustain peace and protect vulnerable populations. This session will offer a place for practitioners from both AI and peacebuilding fields to discuss how existing ‘do no harm’ and ‘conflict sensitivity’ mechanisms can be “upgraded” to algo age, to help ethical programing of organizations planning utilizing AI and related technologies in their programs in conflict and violence affected countries.